Dry food is no stranger to numerous pet owners, especially busy ones because it is convenient and easy to store.
Yet, something might be wrong if your dog whines after eating dry food.
When noticing this reaction, you must determine the root of an issue and figure out feasible methods.
If you don’t know how to do so, this article will help you by providing deep insights into the causes and solutions. Keep scrolling down for further information!
Dog Whines After Eating Dry Food – Is It A Bad Sign?
Sometimes your pooch whines just to crave attention.
In this case, you should not be worried too much, yet it could be a bad sign if the root of this issue stems from health disorders, like mouth injury, neck hurt or stress.
Below are 8 common causes that are worth your consideration.
Mouth Problem
After finishing the dry food, the leftovers still linger in your dog’s mouth.
If it is badly affected by infections or swellings, these leftovers could hurt your puppy’s mouth, making it whine.
In this situation, you should pay close attention to it and wash its mouth carefully after each meal. Taking your puppy to a reliable clinic for an overall check-up would be best.
Attention-Seeking Behavior
Your dog could whine to seek its owner’s attention.
Instead of barking or wagging its tail, it chooses to whine or create some unpleasant sounds, which is better in appealing to your notice.
Suppose you don’t agree with this specific conduct; you’d better train your dog not to repeat the practice.
Punishment or crate training proves their effectiveness, and if it successfully stops the behavior, you should reward it with some treatments.
Neck Pain
When consuming dry food, your dog must constantly move its neck by raising and bowing its head lower to get the food.
If it has undergone minor neck pain, repeated actions of raising and bowing will cause discomfort and make the pain more acute after the meal.
That’s why it produces some whining noises. Yet, given the excruciating neckache, you can easily notice uncomfortable reactions on your canine’s face.
Anxiety Or Fear
Under a few circumstances, your dog is impacted by mental problems, such as fear, separation anxiety, stress, or depression.
These are very dangerous and wreak great havoc on psychological health, as shown by an abrupt mood change.
That’s why it starts to whine after completing the dry food while it could be normal during the meal.
You should keep track of this abnormal feeling and implement prompt measures to avert worse scenarios.
Bloated Or Inflamed Stomach
Whining could indicate serious diseases like an inflamed or bloated stomach.
Several issues, like coeliac ailment, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and food intolerance, often induce regular bloating.
One of its severe consequences is a twisting of the intestinal tract that evokes unendurable pain when dry food lodges in the upset stomach.
And until the pain becomes more acute, your canine will begin to whine as a way of telling its owner about the problem.
Digestion Difficulty
Besides bloating, there are other issues rendered by digestive system diseases, including diarrhea, regurgitation, drooling, loss of appetite, and dehydration.
Due to those above signs, your puppy’s body is weaker and deteriorates with insufficient minerals and nutrients; hence, it always feels exhausted.
So is my dog whimpering in pain? The answer is yes.
Dental Issue
It is possible that your puppy makes an unpleasant sound after consuming dry food because it gets into dental trouble.
Dental diseases, such as broken teeth or toothache, cause much pain if not treated well.
Puppy food components are sometimes solid and hard to break, exacerbating the breaking and cracking of teeth.
All lead to infections in its mouth, which is able to spread to other body parts. Therefore, you should not use dry food to clean its teeth.
Abnormal Swelling In The Throat
Swellings in the throat are conducive to the pain your canine has endured during or after eating dry food. Given this problem, it might feel something stuck in its throat.
When your puppy tries to swallow dry food or kibble, its components make contact with the swollen throat and induce much pain as well as bleeding.
So you might hear some whining noises from your dog. Swelling’s causes are diverse, ranging from irritation to cancer.
To treat it totally, consult your vet’s advice and let the doctor perform surgery.
What To Do When Your Dog Whines After A Meal?
In most cases, whining indicates something bad that happens to your canine.
Depending on the root cause, you should apply a different remedy for your pooch, and the last resort is to bring it to the vet. Here are some methods for you to face this issue.
Get Rid Of Bones
It is common knowledge that dogs love eating bones, yet they are pretty harmful if your puppy gnaws them in the wrong way.
Serious consequences include infected tooth, splinter inside the throat, and infection.
At this point, it feels hurtful in its mouth and makes some whining sounds after finishing the meal.
Suppose you notice this; stop feeding it with bones for a while and see whether they are the main culprits.
Switch To Smaller Foods
Big foods are not good, especially for pooches that are in the habit of overeating. In the worst situation, bloating is unavoidable that will likely induce much aching.
The safest choice is to serve smaller foods. If you are using kibble as the primary puppy food intake, purchase some smaller packs.
Keep The Diet Simple
Pain can emerge from food allergies. A diet containing foods that render allergic reactions and irritations to your puppy should be changed completely.
Keep everything simple and moderate instead of serving it with a diverse meal. That means you could reduce the number of foods but still ensure sufficient nutrients.
Soak Hard Foods To Make Them Soft
Hard foods, like kibble, are sometimes hard to swallow and digest because they are very dry and solid. Consuming them fast causes your dog to choke.
Under this circumstance, soak these types of food in water so they are soft and easy to swallow. Yet, the practice makes the food taste plain, and your dog might not like it.
Serve A Smaller Meal Portion
Your dog might take huge bites frequently, making it eat too much and feel over-full. This is one of the primary contributors to bloating, which triggers real pain.
The key solution is dividing the meal into small portions and giving them to your puppy respectively.
The smaller kibble diminishes the discomfort and facilitates the digestion process.
Encourage Your Dog To Eat Calm And Slow
As presented above, the habit of overeating or eating too fast is not beneficial for your dog’s health because it could choke or consume strange objects without noticing them.
It is advisable to get rid of this bad behavior by punishment or training. The latter is more recommended, coupled with suitable treatments and rewards.
Call Your Vet
Calling your vet for help is the last resort if your dog’s whining seems more terrible and high-pitched.
The doctor will undertake a comprehensive physical exam and determine the root of the problem.
Is It Necessary To Take Your Dog To A Clinic?
If your dog does not seem very tired, and some temporary methods, like getting rid of bones or serving a smaller portion of food, prove effective, you don’t need to take it to a hospital for an overall check-up.
Yet, when the pain frequency and intensity increase and it makes louder whining noises, consult a professional veterinarian as soon as possible.
This issue is related to its health and even decides whether your canine is prone to death.
Yet, don’t worry too much because everything will be fine if you realize its whining sign soon. Before concluding, a doctor must take several steps.
They range from X-rays that help search for evidence of any foreign masses or items to the laryngoscopy method.
Based on the findings, he will determine whether to prescribe pain medications or perform emergency surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Your Dog Whine After Eating Wet Food?
The answer is yes.
Like dry food, wet food can bring pain to your dog due to several issues, like bloating, dental disease, mouth injury or intestinal twisting, etc.
So it would be best to heighten awareness and always watch your puppy to detect any unusual conduct.
Why Does My Dog Whimper After Eating A Bone?
When being fed with a bone or other treats, your puppy should be happy because this is its favorite food.
However, if it whines, something must go wrong with its mouth, and you should check it carefully.
Another reason may lie in its possessive behaviors or craving for personal space.
The Bottom Line
After this post, you know why your dog whines after eating dry food. There are many potential underlying issues to be aware of.
So, you should observe your pet closely for other signs. Also, follow some of the first-aid practices I’ve mentioned above before calling your vet for help.
